PANAMA CITY — The 12-year-old girl led her classmates through her ordeal as a victim of child abuse.

In only middle school, she had become strong enough in her recovery to be an advocate for herself and others, telling other students what to look out for and how to be a friend to those who have suffered like she once did.

"She's a survivor," said Lori Allen, executive director of the Gulf Coast Children's Advocacy Center, as she showed a photo of the girl and her classmates joining hands, blue Child Abuse Awareness bracelets on their wrists. "Now she finds hope in helping others."

The child was a client of the CAC, established in March 2000 to "protect and enhance the quality of life for victims of sexual violence and child abuse" in the Bay County area. The agency provides a trauma-sensitive, specialized approach that allows professionals to assess, identify and treat these victims as a one-stop provider coordinating community resources. And more, the agency hopes to help prevent such abuse in the future.

"In the last few years, we have grown from 20 employees to more than 50 employees and contractors at 10 locations," Allen said. "That growth allows the agency to better meet the needs of the poorest in our rural communities, such as those who maybe couldn't find transportation to get these services. Our satellite staff and offices are tremendous in helping people heal and get the resources they need to move forward after being in a child abuse or sexual abuse situation."

Gulf Coast CAC, with its main office at 210 E. 11th St. in Panama City, offers a refuge for victims and their families to cope with terrible crimes while reducing the fear and further trauma that disclosure and investigation can create. The agency's fundamental belief is that the best interests of the victim should be protected, even during investigations.

- Sexual abuse treatment programs, such as individual and family counseling, treatment, social assessments and other resources.

- Kids Court, which prepares children for the stress of giving testimony in a courtroom by learning how the court works, legal terms they might hear in court, and providing a support person to accompany them into court.

- Family advocacy, which assists victims with every stage of the justice process, including victim compensation, crisis counseling, follow-ups and referrals.

And, most importantly, there is no charge to the victim or family for any of these services.

"There is no cost, ever. No insurance required," Allen said. "Our mission is to end child abuse and sexual violence."

That's why fundraising events are important, such as the upcoming "Running Scared" Zombie Run benefiting the organization. The event will be 8-10 a.m. Sept. 23, at H.G. Harders Park, 7900 John Pitts Road, Panama City. Individuals and groups can register in advance at Active.com (group discounts are available). For more details, see the Sept. 22 edition of The News Herald's Entertainer.

The run will be rain or shine, with obstacles to overcome and hordes of volunteer "zombies" in pursuit. But it's all in good fun, Allen said.

"All the runners are laughing, and it's a great way to get into the mood for Halloween," she said. "You can come out and run from zombies for a few hours — and make a true difference to a family in our community."

Allen noted that another fundraising event originally scheduled for this month — Walk In Her Shoes — had been rescheduled to April 2018 because the organizer is based in south Florida and is recovering from Hurricane Irma. More information about this event will be released closer to the date.

For more information, visit GulfCoastCAC.org online, or call 850-872-7760.

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